Other Ways
by Pricat
Summary: Shrek has been made a knight by Artie and helps him but then two figures from his past but also the future show up. One is his evil father Ambrisa who wants to take over the kingdom but the other is a young woman named Brianna...
1. Ghosts of the Past

Other Ways 

Shrek was feeling miserable. He'd ran away from home, from his father. He was sixteen years old. His mother had divorced his father and left in the middle of the night. His father was very cruel and angry all the time after his wife left him. He blamed everything on his son.

"_I feel so alone. I wish I had somebody to be my friend but nobody would trust in me because I'm different. I'm not vicious or a brute like… like him." _He thought as he rested under a tree. He then heard somebody sobbing. He saw somebody approach him. It was a girl but was a were wolf. She looked young like him.

She had long chestnut hair, dark brown eyes with tears in them. He felt sorry for her. "Are you okay? You… seem alone." He asked her. The young girl smiled as she saw him. His father always tried to attack Duloc but he stayed and never hurt anyone. "No I'm not okay. I… feel alone. Nobody loves me for who I am. I'm cursed to be a monster but not this." She replied as she took off the were head. It was a mask. He gasped in surprise when he saw ogre ears smaller than his with red hair and a short braid. "Wow! You're like me!" he said smiling. "Yes I am.

My name is Brianna. I could've been human like my sister but I'm not. My Mom was a human and she married this man who she thought was human until after they kissed and he became his ogre form. His DNA did this to me! Made me into a freak! None of the other kids will befriend me. I'm not vicious or evil, I just want to love and be loved in return. What's your name?" she told him. "I'm Shrekenchlen but you can call me Shrek. I know your pain too well. I ran away from home because… of my Dad. He got very angry and hostile so I escaped to find something good for me." He answered her.

She could see the hurt in his eyes. He could see it in hers too. He then heard villagers coming this way but they were searching for somebody. It was Brianna. She'd came from another kingdom. "Please don't forget me!" she mouthed to Shrek as they took her away. Shrek nodded as he hid behind a bush. "_One day I'll come get you, I promise." _He thought as he surfaced.

Shrek woke up as sweat dripped down his face. He was in the bedroom in the castle in Far, Far Away. The memory of that night haunted him. Artie wondered what was bugging him the next morning. But he wouldn't answer him. He then heard cackling in his head which seemed familiar as Artie made him a knight in his private chambers.

"You okay? We are friends. You can lean on me you know." Artie told him. Shrek sighed deeply. He could tell him a little. "It's just ghosts of the past are hurting me." He replied softly. Artie understood.

Somebody was watching the castle by standing on the hill facing the kingdom with somebody by his side. They were wearing cloaks so nobody would know them. "Is it nearly time to take it by force?" the female ogre asked her master. "Nearly. When it happens, the young King and my son won't know what hit them!" he replied as his red eyes glowed with magic… Artie felt nervous as he saw Shrek curl into a ball. "He's here along with Brianna." he said nervously with sadness in his voice.

Artie then saw an ogress that looked twenty one appear. He saw Shrek get to his feet and become a protective shield for the young King. "Stay away from him Brianna! I'm warning ya!" he told her. She was taken aback by the voice. She looked into his brown eyes and saw the teenage ogre she'd met that night before they took her away. "Shrek it's you. You've changed since we last met." she said softly looking at the floor. Shrek then calmed down seeing Brianna lay down her weapon. "You've changed since the last time we met. You were sad and lonely." he replied to her. Brianna nodded to him. But then he was knocked off his feet by somebody. It was his father Ambrisa. "Miss me son?" he cackled as his red eyes glowed with magic. "No I didn't Dad. I hate you! All you gave me was misery and pain!" he yelled unsheathing his sword. Artie saw the anger boiling in his ogre friend's blood. "Let me help you Shrek. We can take him on together." Artie said.

"Artie he's too dangerous. This is my fight. Go now while you have a chance to get help." he said cracking his knuckles. Ambrisa cackled as they prepared to fight...


	2. Future Shock

Other Ways 

Ch 2

Shrek then unsheathed two samurai swords. Ambrisa was knocked off his feet by a single punch. "How can you be powerful? You were nothing but a loser!" Ambrisa yelled as he lunged at his son but Shrek leapt out of his way.

"Uniteus!" Shrek yelled as magic glowed around him. "_How can he do that? I thought he was too weak to have his Ogreix and find his Warrior Spirit!" _he thought as he saw a dark winged angel stand in his son's place. "You never believed in me but years later I found others that love me for who I am! This is the Angel of Love, my Warrior Spirit. Love flows me as I try to protect Artie from the very likes of you!" Shrek replied as he sent a powerful attack that sent Ambrisa flying through the castle walls.

Artie wondered what was going on as Brianna followed him to the swamp. "Don't worry. I don't wanna hurt you or the others especially my Mom. She's still very young in this time period." She said. Artie wondered what she meant by that. "I'm from the future. Twenty five years later from this point in time. I'm Felicia's daughter. In my time, Ambrisa took over Far, Far Away enforcing his rule and making lives miserable. You and Shrek made a stand against him but Shrek was captured and we never saw him since. You were in hiding, gathering up the strength to face him. My mother told me that if we stop him now, we can change the future for the better." She explained sadly looking into his green eyes. "_I can't believe it. The future is darker than I thought. My friends, I'll never see again and I'll be afraid just like at Worchester. I don't want it to happen." _He thought but somebody was lying outside the swamp. It was Shrek from the future. He was nearly fifty years old in samurai style knight armour. Artie was nervous as he saw him open his eyes. Sadness was in them. "Artie? You're here. I'm sorry that the future was messed up because of me. Right now Ambrisa is going to trick the past me by pretending to change but then hurt him with his power." He told him. Artie nodded softly. "Is that why you gave up?" he asked softly.

"No it wasn't because of him, it was after I took care of him, I thought he didn't have power but I was wrong. Behind my back, he messed up the kingdom and made everybody miserable. I was taken in by his guards and tortured to help him but I wouldn't." he answered. Brianna then helped him into the swamp. They changed his clothes so Fiona wouldn't realise it was her husband from the future. Artie had ran off to the castle to help Shrek after what he'd heard his friend's future self tell him. Ambrisa was about to do what Artie had heard him do but leapt through the doors in a flying kick and knocked Ambrisa out.

"Wow! How did you do that?" Shrek asked him smiling. "I heard your future self tell me about your father tricking you. I wanted to stop it from happening. We should lock him away." Artie answered. But then Ambrisa felt weird. He then ran off. Shrek wondered what was wrong. Artie had a feeling Ambrisa was headed towards the swamp to take out Brianna. "We've gotta get there now! Brianna's in danger. She's... from the future. He kills her and any hope for the kingdom's future is slayed." he said as they went to the swamp. Brianna had explained things to Fiona but she was shocked. Brianna then saw Ambrisa kick down the door. "Get out of here now! Take the babies! That's what he wants." Brianna told Fiona as she got out of there.

Brianna had a secret that nobody, not even her Mom knew. She'd met a ninja and had fallen in love with him but he'd sealed something within her. He'd told her it would help her when Ambrisa attacked in the past. It was her demon Saias the Five Eyed Protector Dragon. Ambrisa backed away nervously. Nobody had told him this brat had a demon inside of her. "Nobody does! I've hidden him so that nobody would be afraid and hate me! But now I have to use him to protect the past and the future!" she yelled as she attacked using Spirit Fire. Her eyes glowed black as the demon took over. Ambrisa ran away in fear from Brianna. She then heard it laugh in her head. "Good work dear. Just let me stay in control and things will be fine!" it said to her. Brianna wasn't sure as her face transformed into the Five Eyed Protector Dragon's.

Artie had seen that and was worried.


	3. Under Demonic Control

Other Ways 

Ch 3

It was midnight but Artie couldn't sleep. He was thinking about what had happened today. He wondered why that demon was in Brianna. But he then saw a bright light appear in the forest and went to check it out.

"_I hope it's not one of Ambrisa's friends. We're too weak right now to fight if it is!" _he thought but was relieved when he saw it was Snowgre but older. He was twenty years old but depression and sadness was mixed with anger in his eyes. "Hey Artie it's me. You guys took care of Ambrisa." He said sadly.

Artie wondered what had changed his friend from happy and fun loving into a sad adult. Snowgre then clutched his head as they entered the swamp. "Get out of me! I don't want to be your host anymore!" he yelled. Artie was scared. "_What's going on with you Snowg? Was it Ambrisa that did this to you? Or is it the same as Brianna?" _he thought as Snowgre sat on his make shift bed in the living room.

"Don't you sleep?" Artie asked him. "No I can't… It'll force badness on me as well as visions of those I love being killed or hurt especially you." He answered him. Artie realised it was insomia that was making his friend erratic. "It's not just that. There's a demon inside me, a Sleep Demon. It wants me to do bad things because Ambrisa put it in my head to stop us from being free and to scare Shrek. Ambrisa knows Shrek would do anything to protect me but this demon inside is freaking me out. Help me please!" he explained with tears in his eyes. Artie then climbed into the bed beside him. "What're you doing? If you stay with me, you'll get hurt! I can't bear that, not to you." Snowgre told him. "Maybe this is worth the risk. I… love you for who you are." He told him. Snowgre felt tears at that as his eyes grew heavy. Nobody had said that to him. In his dream he was with Artie but then just as he was feeling happy, the dream melted into darkness and he could hear Artie's voice screaming, begging for mercy. Snowgre's mental self shivered at that. He knew who was doing this.

"I love you Snowgre... to death!" he heard the Sleep Demon cackle as he appeared out of the darkness. He looked like a shadow but with glowing purple eyes. "Why do you haunt me? Stop this, please! I just want to dream, to be happy again." Snowgre begged him. The Sleep Demon laughed madly at that. "You know what you must do if you ever wanna be happy and have sweet dreams again." it replied as he saw Artie's mental self becoming lifeless as the demon was draining his soul, his love and his heart. "Stop it! If you leave him alone, I'll do what you want! Just let Artie live!" he begged through tears. The Sleep Demon smiled at that as he returned the life force to Artie. "Snowg don't! He'll hurt you!" Artie yelled. "I'm sorry Artie but this... is the only way to save you. Just forget about me." Snowgre said as a Japanese mark appeared on Snowgre's head. Both of them woke up depressed and scared. Artie felt heart broken at this. His friend had let the demon win in order to save his soul.

Snowgre was slowly beginning to change mentally and socially under the demon's control. He withdrew from the others especially Shrek and Artie. His eyes were slowly changing from green to black. Artie felt powerless to do anything as he watched his best friend and love turn into a monster and hurt those close to him...

Brianna then saw Snowgre attack her in the forest. She wasn't dead but mainly hurt. Shrek heard Snowgre laugh madly as they took care of Brianna. "It's not his fault. He's under the control of a demon Ambrisa sealed in him. It won't let him sleep and last night he let it win to save me from dying at it's hands. It's... my fault." Artie said crying as he ran out of the house into the forest.

He then saw Snowgre corner him and used his most powerful attack that made Artie pass out. Shrek saw fear and tears in his cousin's eyes as he vanished with Artie in his arms...


End file.
